This application claims priority of Taiwan Application No. 091210280, filed on Jul. 5, 2002.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wood planing machine, more particularly to a wood planing machine with a foldable workpiece-supporting table.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a conventional wood planing machine is shown to include a base 1 having opposite left and right ends, and opposite front and rear sides 101. Left and right pairs of posts (not visible) extend uprightly and respectively from the left and right ends of the base 1. A cutter carriage (not visible) has left and right carriage ends mounted slidably and respectively on the left and right pairs of posts. The conventional wood planing machine further includes left and right workpiece-supporting tables 3, each of which is pivoted to a lug unit 102 of a respective one of the front and rear sides 101 of the base 1 and each of which is turnable about a rotation axis defined by a pivot 301 between a position of use, as best shown in FIG. 1, in which the workpiece-supporting table 3 is substantially co-planar with the base 1 to permit passage of a workpiece therethrough, and an idle position, as best shown in FIG. 2, in which the workpiece-supporting table 3 is generally perpendicular to the base 1. A pair of supporting bolts 104 (only one is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) are mounted adjustably and respectively on the front and rear sides 101 of the base 1 so as to support the workpiece-supporting tables 3 when the workpiece-supporting tables 3 are disposed at the position of use. There are further provided a pair of retaining units 2 (only one is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2), each of which is in the form of a leaf spring, and each of which is disposed between the respective workpiece-supporting table 3 and the respective one of the front and rear sides 101 of the base 1 in such a manner that the leaf spring 2 has one end abutting against the base 1 and a middle bent portion urging upwardly a pivot end of the respective workpiece-supporting table 3 when the latter is disposed at the idle position.
Referring to FIG. 2, since the distance xe2x80x9crxe2x80x9d from the line of the urging force xe2x80x9cfxe2x80x9d applied to the pivot end of the workpiece-supporting table 3 by the leaf spring 2 to the rotation axis 301 is relatively short, the resultant torque for retaining the workpiece-supporting table 3 at the idle position is small, thereby disposing the workpiece-supporting table 3 at an unstable state upon transport of the wood planing machine. Moreover, the leaf springs 2 easily suffer from spring fatigue and lead eventually to instabity of the workpiece-supporting tables 3 at the idle position.
Therefore, the object of this invention is to provide a wood planing machine which includes a magnetic retaining unit which is adapted to retain a foldable workpiece-supporting table firmly when the table is turned to an idle position from a position of use so as to eliminate the drawbacks of the aforesaid prior art.
Accordingly, a wood planing machine of the present invention includes: a base having a horizontal supporting surface and opposite front and rear sides; a plurality of mounting posts extending uprightly from the base; a cutter carriage mounted slidably on the mounting posts and having opposite front and rear side walls; at least one foldable workpiece-supporting table pivoted to the front side of the base, and movable between a position of use, in which the workpiece-supporting table is substantially co-planar with the supporting surface of the base, and an idle position, in which the workpiece-supporting table is perpendicular to the supporting surface of the base; and at least one retaining unit for releasably retaining the workpiece-supporting table at the idle position. The retaining unit includes a first magnetic unit fixed on the workpiece-supporting table, and a second magnetic unit mounted on the front side wall of the cutter carriage and disposed to magnetically attract the first magnetic unit when the workpiece-supporting table is disposed at the idle position so as to retain the workpiece-supporting table at the idle position.